Howdy, all. Today I am leaving Atlanta to go directly to our annual family reunion in Kentucky. That's right--tonight I'm sleeping at Mama Ruth's house. :)

On Monday I signed copies of Coral Moon at the Zondervan booth on the ICRS floor. Camy Tang signed her new novel, Sushi for One, at the same time. We had a long line that just kept coming. The signing started at 2:00. At 3:20 I had to leave for a meeting at the Zondervan suite. When I returned at 4:00, Camy was still signing with no let-up in the line. Waytago for a new author!

Intersting, the line dynamics at ICRS. Lines beget lines. There are, unfortunately, too many signings with no takers in line. But when a line starts forming, it draws attention and more people come.

The Z folks finally just had to break it off. Camy was out of all her 250 books. I moved to the other side of the Z booth and sat in an armchair to sign what copies I had left for some particular people. (At Z's request.) Next thing I knew, a line was forming where I sat--which wasn't a signing area at all. Oh, dear! I can't say no to anyone. So I gave out books, but scurried over as soon as I could to ask for help from a Z person.

Best photo of the day--Suspense Author Strangles Asian Chick. Yup, we did it--as many folks in our line looked on. Camy's strangulation face was perfect. The photo is currently in some Z employee's camera. She promised to email it to me. I'll put it up as soon as I get it--probably after she gets home from the conference.

And thanks to Angie Hunt, my daughter is being mailed a signed copy--by Angie and Mandisa--of Idoleyes, their new book. Yippee!

Someone asked the other day in a comment about any news in the data world. That is, the data system that creates our bestseller list. There's a lot of talk here about Above the Treeline and Cross:Scan, data systems that help booksellers keep track of sales and inventory, etc. However, I see nothing that speaks of a new reporting system for the bestseller list that would be all inclusive. Now I hear that, besides the large Family Christian chain, Lifeway also does not report to STATS, which supplies the bestseller list. Which leaves me scratching my head as to who reports at all, other than independents and some smaller chains.

Anyway, a full change of scenery for me today. Away from convention, to family. I'm ready.

Greetings From Atlanta ICRS

Happy Monday.

I am in Atlanta at ICRS (International Christian Retail Show). Thursday through Saturday Chi Libris had its retreat. (Chi Libris is the organization of Christian novelists.) Always so fun and refreshing to hang out with the author pals. We have two days of meetings, discussing the business, marketing, career paths, that sort of thing. Typically we don't focus on the craft of writing, but this year we had a full day with Donald Maass, agent and writing guru. His teaching is very instructive, no matter how many novels you may have written.

Saturday evening was the Christy banquet. Lovely night. Wonderful speaker. Very encouraging to us novelists. To see the list of Christy Award winners, visit the Christy web site.

Today is the first day of the convention floor opening. I sign copies of Coral Moon at the Zondervan booth at 2 p.m. Wouldn't you know it--that's the very hour that the one person whose line I wanted to stand in for an autographed book is also signing. Those of you who watch American Idol will remember Mandisa from the fifth season. She teamed with Angie Hunt to write a book about her experience at AI. That's the book Mandisa is signing. I want one for my daughter. I'm gonna have to get over to that booth early and see if I can sweet-talk someone into getting Mandisa to sign one, using my daughter's name. I can trot over later and pick it up. Hope this works.

Actually, I'm not trotting. I'm still limping a little--worse as the day wears on and the foot swells. I want to walk as little as possible, which isn't easy at a huge convention.

Tonight is the Personality Party. You know, the one I'm not invited to. Sigh.

Oh, well. After years of teasing about The Party, I may as well give you the real scoop. It's a signing party. For two hours. Publishers pay for a "booth"--a table, really, for an author to sit at and sign. It's in a big room, and booksellers only have those two hours to get to all the authors they want books from. Zondervan, my publisher, chooses not to participate in the Personality Party. Thing is, if I signed there, I wouldn't sign at the Z booth on the convention floor during the day. (1) Why pay for a table at The Party when Z can offer me a full hour of taking over their booth for a signing--for free? (They paid for the booth but don't have to pay any extra to have me sign there.) (2) Signing on the convention floor-especially on Monday, the busy day--arguably gives an author higher visibility and time with booksellers than competing with a whole room full of people during the same two-hour period. I have never wanted for people in my lines. Usually once I start signing I keep at it until the books are gone. So in truth, I believe the floor signing is a better way to go.

Man, the truth is so boring. It's much more fun to kid about not having a personality.

Did I mention new author Camy Tang is joining me for the signing? Her first book, an Asian chick lit titled Sushi for One, is just out. I figure we can do our own personality thing to attract crowds: Suspense author strangles Asian Chick.

Think that'll work?

Tonight is the ACFW dinner. I'll try to post about that for tomorrow.

For now, signing off from Atlanta.

~ Brandilyn

Interesting Article on Christian Fiction

Happy post-fourth. Hope yours was happy. As usual, we had a houseful and then some at our Coeur d'Alene home. Seemed every time I turned around I heard more people were coming for dinner and to view the town's megal-cool fireworks. Our son kept inviting people. I think he put up signs all over town. It's always a lot of fun--as long as we have enough to feed everyone. Our house is made for those types of summer parties.

Today I am flying to Atlanta for the Chi Libris retreat (organization of Christian novelists), followed by ICRS--International Christian Retail Show. I will try to post info the convention as I can.

For today--The recent issue of Christian Retailing contains an article on Christian fiction with some statistics that I didn't know. Here are some highlights:

According to ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association), in 2006 Christian publishers put out 528 novels. That number was up from 471 in 2005--an 11% increase. In that same time frame, however, sales rose 38%.

I like those numbers.

Mark Kuyper, president of ECPA, sees continued growth for fiction. He noted that one analyst believes sales of Christian fiction can easily double and "still be nowhere near the category's potential."

Numbers of published novels are up this year at both Zondervan and Thomas Nelson. Zondervan published 19 novels in 2006 and plans for 25 this year.

There is also continued growth in the book-to-movie category. A few new ones include Karen Kingsbury's novella Gideon's Gift, which is being made into a movie by Paramount Pictures for this Christian season. Zondervan is exploring TV tie-ins, such as The Wager, a TV movie starring Randy Travis based on Bill Myers' novel of the same name.

The growth of Christian fiction continues to attract secular publishers. Among the new lines--Avon Inspire, part of HarperOne; and Berkley Praise, part of Penguin.

The article also deals with the term "Christian fiction"--and just what is it? This is a subject that's been around awhile, and the debate goes on. Some think that the term may need to be replaced. Sue Brower, senior acquisitions editor for inspiration and fiction at Zondervan, prefers "fiction written from a Christian worldview." Allen Arnold, senior vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson agrees. Arnold's point is that most readers don't define themselves as "Christian fiction readers." Most just want to read well-written stories that honor their Christian worldview.

Pop culture and crime writer Chris Well (published by Harvest House) notes, "Look at the success of authors like Ted Dekker and Brandilyn Collins and Colleen Coble," and adds that there are "great choices for readers of suspense, thrillers, mysteries, even crime fiction." He adds, "...these authors are exploring dark territory and themes that are ucomfortable. Christian novelists are working to create a more realistic world in their books. They have come to the conclusion that if Jesus is Lord--and He is--that means we really need to demonstrate that He is Lord of all, not just the comfortable stuff, not just the safe stuff, not just the sanitized stuff."

Ted Dekker talks about the difficulties publishers face in drawing in the "emerging generation while serving the older one." He opines that "young adults tend to avoid Christian stores like the plague--and no wonder." The reason, he says, is that "there is little inside [the stores] that speaks their language." Ted concludes, "I want to give CBA stores novels ... that younger readers will line up at the door for even if the owners of those stores don't totally identify [with the stories] themselves."

Criag Stoll, merchandise manager for the Mardel chain, responds that Christian retailers are rallying around emerging genres. As for the mystery and suspense genre in particular, he believes it will "continue to grow because both the readers and the authors are becoming more sophisticated." He cites historical fiction as still being very strong, but believes it may have reached its plateau.

Agent Steve Laube notes he receives 1500 proposals a year, 85% of which are fiction.

All in all, the Christian Retailing article is an indication of the continued growth of Christian fiction (or whatever you want to call it) in sales, number of titles and readership.

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Crimson Eve

Coral Moon

Violet Dawn

A Lesson for Writers From a Singing Coach

Saturday evening I sank into an armchair with a footrest to get my poor ankle up for awhile (the tendons and ligaments are still healing). I picked up the TV remote and started flipping through channels. Landed on "Making the Band IV" on MTV. Now first of all, I generally do not like MTV. Second, "Making the Band" is produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, the rapper. I do not like rap. In the show--this being the fourth season--P Diddy (same guy, for those of you who don't know) holds American-Idol type auditions for singers and puts together a band. This year he's putting together an R&B/soul band. Now that I like. I also love seeing unknown talent be discovered and grow. All the auditioners were singing songs from Boyz II Men and that ilk. Man, I love those songs.

Anyway. In two back-to-back shows, a final fifty-eight guys from all across the U.S. were whittled down to the big 20. These talented 20 go live in a house owned (rented?) by P Diddy in New York City. (Hey, a rapper rhyme.) Then they have to get down to business and work real hard to perfect their talent. Only a handful will be chosen for the final band. They exercise, learn dance routines with a choreographer, and work on their singing with a known vocal coach.

It was vocal coaching scene that totally enthralled me.

The vocal coach is an older black man with the name of Ankh Ra. (People always call this guy by his first and last names and run them together. It comes out like "ANKra.") He's sort of a Yoda-like, wise mentor figure. One by one the 20 guys had to sing a song and be critiqued. A cute young black man named Chris introduced his song as being about someone who died. He launched in and immediately began snapping his fingers. Ankh Ra stopped him. (I will paraphrase the conversation.)

"I thought you told me this is about someone who died. And you're already snapping your fingers?"

Eventually Chris said he did that to help him "cover the pain."

Ankh Ra said huh-uh. "I don't want you to cover up your pain; I want you to feel it."

As Chris stood in front of the 19 other guys, Ankh Ra talked him through what the song meant.

"Who died?"

"My grandfather."

Ankh Ra asked Chris what his grandfather would say to him right now, seeing him in this competition. Chris gave a long answer about trying hard and believing in yourself--and started to cry. Ankh Ra kept at him. In a gentle, understanding way, coaxing out of this young man why he was so pained about his grandfather's death. Finally the answer:

"I never had the chance to tell him I love him."

By this time a bunch of the other guys in that room, most in their twenties, were teary-eyed.

"Tell your grandfather now," Ankh Ra said.

And Chris did.

Finally he sat down without finishing the song. He was crying too hard to have the needed open throat to sing. Ankh Ra hugged him. Told him he'd done some good work. The coach's point to the guys was--singing isn't just about notes and words. It's about emotion. A singer is an artist who must project the emotion of the song to the audience. Without that emotion, the song isn't believable. The best voice in the world won't carry it.

Then Dan got up--one of the few white boys. He started to sing a love song. Dan's got a great voice, but Ankh Ra stopped him after about four lines. The coach shook his head. "I don't believe you. I don't believe you."

He talked Dan through the song. Why had he chosen it? Because the words meant something to Dan. He told the story--a long friendship, with the guy thinking this girl should be more than a friend, that "this girl's the one for me." Finally he gets the courage to tell her so.

"What happened?" Ankh Ra asked. "What's the end of the story?"

Dan broke into a smile. "It worked. We're together." And the kid just beamed.

"There, see that?" Ankh Ra said. "That's emotion. Give me that when you sing."

Dan started in again. This time he felt the performance. And it worked. The song just rolled out of him. His vocal inflection, facial expression, body language--all worked together to make the audience feel. The other guys nodded their heads and smiled. You could see them feeling it.

At the end of the session, Ankh Ra told the guys, "You all have stuff in you. Let it out. That's what makes you an artist. If you stuff it down, it stops the flow."

What a brilliant lesson for a group of young men who thought singing was just about--singing. No, no, Ankh Ra says. Their artistry comes not just from their throats. It comes from inside them. It comes from who they are. The more they're in touch with who they are and what they feel, the better singers they'll be.

"Don't be afraid to let it out," Ankh Ra said. "Don't be afraid to let it out."

Dog Drives Car Into Lake

Yup, I'm back in Idaho. (Lake Pend Oreille is about an hour north of Coeur d'Alene). Dean Koontz oughtta use this one in some book. Okay, it's not a golden retriever, but this black lab's got it goin' on.

Happy Tuesday.

I found this very interesting article on colors used for marketing/branding, and what they mean. Authors, if you're looking to "brand" yourself at some point, complete with logo, check this out before deciding on colors.

Any surprise that my Seatbelt Suspense logo is black and red?

Feedback and Failure

Happy Friday. First the feedback from the belly-button examination.

Thank you again for all of your encouraging comments. They meant a lot. I will be continuing to blog, but not every Monday through Friday as I have been. I don't have specific weekdays. I'm going to be cutting down to two or three times a week. If I have more to say in a week--I'll say it. I really don't want to give up this blog altogether, yet I do need a little breathing room with this new insane schedule I'm on. So this is a good compromise. Note--I always post the night before, usually around 9 p.m. Pacific time. So if you check this blog in the morning and see no new post, no need checking back throughout the day. You can always leave a comment on the last post and know I'll see it--all comments are e-mailed to me. You know, something along the lines of, "Where's your post for today, ya lazy writer?!"

Why do I have an even more insane schedule than usual? Can't tell you until ICRS time (in three weeks). Blame that on my publisher. I've only been sitting on the news for a year.

Speaking of ICRS (the annual convention for Christian publishing)--here comes the Failure part. Guess what's happening this year on Monday night?

The Personality Party. Again.

Am I invited?

Nope.

Again.

One year ago I wrote on this very subject, bemoaning my fate. Here I am, another year older--and no better off. And I tried so hard! I started to write a new post on the subject, then figured--heck, why not just cut and paste from last year? Hardly any editing needed.

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... Got my copy of the latest Aspiring Retail. The magazine’s full of information on ICRS ... One thing I won’t be doing there—going to a special party Monday night. I’m not invited.

It’s a “Personality Party,” see. For personality-laden authors, and the booksellers dying to meet them.

Apparently I am quite dull.

It was bad enough before. ICRS used to have “personality booths.” Certain authors with the “P” distinction would sign their books in these special roped off areas, for which the publisher paid extra money. I’d just sign at the Z booth.

But now—oh, man, rub it in. It’s a party. For two whole hours. They’ll probably have streamers and everything.

In the P booth days, I'd bemoan my fate to my friends. Relegated to Dull-dom, I declared that some bright, shining day I would grow a Personality. Now, staring at the P party in bold font on the magazine’s schedule, I have given up. This is my fifth [EDIT--SIXTH] ICRS. I’ve loitered in Dullsville, while the P authors have graduated to a night’s event.

I must admit, I saw a full-page ad for three authors who’ll be showcased at the P party—and felt a twinge of vindication. I hadn’t heard of one of them. Then I remembered it didn’t matter. Well-known or not, they possessed a personality. Give them a few years, they'll take over the world.

But I'm not bitter.

Tell me, what do I have left to do? To try? For five [EDIT--SIX] interminable years, I’ve parked myself before a mirror, practicing expressions. Accents. Certain suave tilts of the head. Coy looks through my lashes. Nothing has worked.

I am doomed.

But not to worry. Ever the fighter am I. Somehow I shall keep my chin up at the convention. Maybe I’ll find other dull authors to hang with on Monday night. What a time we should have. Think the waiters will notice us?

Or perhaps I shall plant myself in front of my hotel room mirror. Practicing yet again. Hoping against hoping that in 2007 [EDIT--2008], that bright and shining year . . .

Laura Domino's Guest Post

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to answer my questions from yesterday. Some of your answers were really touching, and I so appreciate the encouragement.

Now for today--here's the guest post from Laura Domino, one of the "caption winners." Kind of ironic, what her post is about. Another real encouragement. When she wrote this, she had no idea of the post I had planned for yesterday.
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Dear Brandilyn,

You get plenty of letters from readers (mostly good letters, I’ll bet). I’ll try to keep this from being fan mail. I’m glad my humor won an opportunity to speak out what I’m sure many of us think about you: You are a funnel of God’s love.

As uniquely scary as your books are, they’re still Christian Fiction and show God’s love to anyone who picks up one of your books.

So in an effort to give back to a special author who gives to so many people, I decided to tell just a tiny bit of how God has blessed me through you. I’m sure others will speak up in the comments section to alert you to moments that were special to them.

1. Getting Into Character: I’ve read your non-fiction to get myself in position to write credible, emotional scenes. I didn’t get it all the first time through, so I read it again and studied the parts that were difficult for me. I enjoyed the workshop CDs you taught on how to write, but the book is a little closer to my desk than the CD player. I do refer back to it occasionally.

2. Your Blog: I’ve read it from the beginning and felt the love you have for your BGs. I’ve learned a lot from the various posts on craft and the publishing business and everything else. The dentist story is hilarious. Haven’t we all felt a little uneasy about going to the dentist? Your story opened our mouths not in practicing our “Ahh”, but in hearty laughter. And when we heard of your foot injury, I’m sure most of the BGs prayed for your comfort and quick healing.

3. Your Web Site: I’ve read your story about the Lyme disease healing – and spoke with DiAnn Mills about how the wheelchair got away from her and Kathleen at Mount Hermon while you were still fighting off Lyme. Aside from the funny picture I get in my mind at your description of the runaway wheelchair (was that in the blog?), I know that was a difficult time for you. Right now, many people are fighting off Lyme disease while they deal with questions from people like me who know (knew) nothing about the disease. Your web article and blog posts about your experience help to educate others and bring an awareness about it.

4. Kanner Lake series Scenes and Beans blog: I was especially thrilled to be a part of the series blog. I loved the idea of a character blog. Coming up with ideas to write about was challenging, but fun. I kept track of the characters as they had their say. Easy as it was to picture the whole gang in Java Joint, Bailey’s establishment, I knew they were characters. I pulled myself away from wondering what Bailey was doing when others were typing in their blog posts. So cool to include a novelist (S-man) in the story. So cool to have a real gift shop in the story. So cool that I got to be a part of the blog.

So let’s hear from the rest of the BGs now.

Thanks, Brandilyn!

In love and unity,
Laura Domino

PS. I didn’t even say anything about how much fun you are as the Emcee of the ACFW conference.

This week on blog tour: Jill Nelson's Reluctant Runaway.

This book is in my TBR pile for the next couple weeks. I'm so happy for Jill. She's an author who worked and worked on her craft--and voila. She sold! Then sold again ...

Ten Belly Button Questions

This is one of those examine-your-belly-button posts. Not a real pretty exercise, but sometimes it's gotta be done.

I've been thinking about blogging lately, see. Forensics and Faith is almost two and a half years old. It takes a lot of work to blog every weekday. With my writing schedule growing ever crazier, I'm wondering whether to continue blogging as is, cut back some, or stop altogether. In some ways it would be hard to stop, because I'd miss the community. You BGs are great. Writing is a lonely profession--and there y'all are every day, willing to visit with me. All the same, I've got to line up my work time according to priorities. At this point, I don't know how Forensics and Faith fits into my priorities--partly because I'm not yet totally clear on the priorities themselves. What's the balance between, say, writing time, hard marketing time, and the type of communal networking you find in a blog? I don't know.

So would you please help me out and answer all of these questions that apply to you? If you want to answer anonymously, that's fine. I just need honest feedback. Perhaps everyone's answers will help you bloggers make some decisions about your own blogging.

1. Bloggers--how often do you post?

2. Who are your blog readers? Mostly writers? Mostly readers? Mostly stay-at-home-moms? Etc.

3. Why do you blog?

4. If you are a writer, have you seen any clear signs of blogging leading to higher book sales?

5. Why do you read Forensics and Faith?

6. Has reading this blog ever led you to buy one of my books that you wouldn't have bought anyway?

7. Has reading this blog ever led you to tell others about my books, when you otherwise wouldn't have done so?

8. Has reading this blog made you more aware of my books in general? How?

9. Has reading this blog given you a sense of community? Helped you network? Helped you learn about writing? Or anything else?

10. Any question I should have asked and didn't--please fill it in and answer.

Thanks, BGs!

ChapteraWeek

Do you know about ChapteraWeek?

By joining this free group, you will receive one email a week, containing an excerpt from the first chapter of a new release in Christian fiction. Information on how to buy the book is also included. All genres are covered. This is a great way to check out the latest books from your favorite authors--and maybe some authors who are new to you.

Go here to join.

Guest Post: Seven Tips for Editor/Agent Appointments

Happy Monday. This is the guest post from Ed Horton, one of the caption winners from last week.
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During the early morning hours on June 1, I typed in my registration to attend my first ACFW conference. I have benefited from attending other conferences over the years, but this will be my first “fiction-only” conference. The part that makes me more-than-a-bit nervous about these conferences is the editor and agent appointments. You see, these great opportunities have gone poorly for me in the past. At times, my speech has faltered and delivery of my pitch has been less than eloquent. And frankly, I’ve let myself be scared-senseless by some wonderful publishing professionals.

So, as of today I’m practicing to make my appointments this fall more memorable in a positive manner. Let me share a few ideas with you. Most of it’s just common sense, but let’s review it anyway.

Learn how to pronounce the editor’s name—both first and last. It’s embarrassing to bounce up to the editor, all smiles, and have them correct your pronunciation of the name they’ve known forever. In print, Lisa may seem like ‘Leesa,’ but actually be pronounced as ‘Līsa’ or ‘Lizza.’ If it’s a last name like ‘Gouphedenseison,’ well, good luck!

Let the editor or agent begin the conversation. If they’re on their cell phone or checking email, wait until they give you their attention. At one appointment, after I started speaking, the editor looked at his watch and told me I was a minute early so I waited semi-patiently as he continued reading his email.

Know your pitch. Write it out and practice it until you have it memorized and can say it smoothly. Don’t choke and ramble like I’ve done before. An editor’s eyes can glaze over quickly and noticeably (especially when they rollback in their head). Once you’ve lost their attention, it’s difficult to get it back.

Hook them quick! Dazzle them in the first sixty seconds. Editors and agents are accustomed to making judgment calls about proposals and manuscripts very quickly—within minutes or even nanoseconds. Make sure your proposal is right for their publishing house, and then give them the best hook you can. You’ll know when you’ve succeeded. Their eyes widen slightly and they lean forward to hear what you have to say. Then they may shoot rapid-fire questions at you. Be prepared to answer with wit and wisdom, and of course, the truth.

Expect the unexpected. During the space of one fifteen-minute appointment, an elderly man at a nearby table fell off his chair twice (no, it wasn’t from the excitement of landing a big contract). Distractions happen, which is another good reason to hook the editor or agent fast.
Hide your emotions. As tough as it may be, if you receive disappointing feedback, don’t burst into tears or let your face fall like an imploding building. Be gracious and follow up with a brief thank-you note.

Don’t give up! Whatever you do, if an appointment doesn’t go well, don’t cancel the remaining ones. Learn from each meeting and keep trying.

Hoping to see you all at the ACFW conference!

-- Ed Horton

TODAY--Bailey Truit: Almost a Year

... A year ago I started this blog hoping to tell more people about Kanner Lake. I wanted to bring more tourists to town and more customers into my coffee shop, Java Joint. Who'd ever have guessed how things would change. A year later I have so much business, it'll be days before a new post is put up. All the Scenes and Beans bloggers are still around, but they seem to be busy doing this and that. Or maybe it's that all their best stories have been told. (Except for Wilbur. He's always got a story to tell. If he runs out of true ones, he'll make one up. :)...

The Jean Scene

A recent issue of The Wall Street Journal ran an article about a new fad in blue jeans. Lyric Jeans Inc., a year-old start-up, is offering something new in the jeans world: excertps of lyrics to well known songs written on the jeans in crystals. Seems you can get a $350 pair of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (pictured.) Lyric Jeans' "The Revolution Collection" is a line featuring lyrics from 23 hits from the late 60s to early 70s, including six songs from the Beatles and Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?"

Rock bands and other musicians are starting to license such usages for merchandise, due to the low sales of CDs these days. The band/singer is likely to get anywhere from %8 to %14 of the sales of merchandise that uses their lyrics.

Hm. Sounds like a great way to pad a royalty check, don't you think? I am definitely down for gettin' into this act. I do hereby announce my new line of merchandise containing words from Christian novels. (I'm sure the publishers will go for this.) Designer name: Pros Couture. Nice double meaning on the first word, and hey, how many people can spell "prose" anyway?

My "Seatbelt Suspense" collection will include:

1. Dead of Night dramatic black jeans dotted with crystals to look like stars. And, in more crystals:

Arise and see the beauty of the deed.

Who have you lost but another shallow soul?

2. Crimson Eve dark blue jeans:

The sun spilled a bucket of blood red in her rearview mirror.

Painted around the words--splashes of red, the top rim of a sun, crystals outlining the shape of a car's rearview mirror. Back pockets pick up the red splash.

3. Amber Morn black men's T-shirt with bold gold lettering:

Any man going on this mission wasn't coming back.

4. Stain of Guilt girls' white baseball cap with dark red crystals on the bill:

Annie. Even I'M staying out of this one.

Methinks I shall make a fortune. All I need's a little seed money for this venture. I'm thinkin' I'll hit up Chip MacGregor and Steve Laube to find me some investors. They know everybody. Maybe they'll even throw in some $$ from their own fat wallets. (All agents are rich, aren't they?)

Want to add a design collection of your own? Or perhaps a single item? Be my guest. All the more to offer the Pros Couture customers.

The "Religion" List

The June 4 issue of Publishers Weekly includes an article on the latest craze of anti-religious books--and they're sitting pretty on the bestseller list. I've been watching the PW "religion" list for quite awhile now. You're likely to see Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion sitting right next to one by Joyce Meyer or Don Piper/Cecil Murphy's Ninety MInutes in Heaven.

Three books in a row by atheists are making this list: Dawkins', Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation, and Christopher Hitchens' God is not Great. The March 12 list had Dawkins at #1, Harris at #2, Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore at #3, and The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren at #4. Jonathan Karp, editor-in-chief of Twelve, publisher of Hitchens' book, says these books stem from "a manifestation of the anger that people are feeling towrd piety in the culture, fears about Islamic extremism and frustration with the way religion is continuously injected into our political life." Hitchens has appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart, CNN's Lou Dobbs and Anderson Cooper, and Charlie Rose. He's also been publicly debating with religious leaders about his beliefs. Another publisher--Da Capo--has already signed Hitchens up for The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer. The book will include writings from Darwin, Einstein, Twain, Russell, Jefferson, Paine and Marx, among other. It will release this fall.

Just as many Christian publishers responded to The DaVinci Code novel with rebuttals of the beliefs it espoused, so they are responding to these new nonfiction titles. (For example--The Dawkins Delusion? published by InterVarsity Press.)

At the recent Book Expo America convention a group of atheist authors, including Hitchens, were on a panel sponsored by PW on "Atheism: The Rise of a New Subcategory in Religion."

I find the situation disheartening but not surprising. God is using popular culture today--books, movies, music--to reach many people. And whatever God uses, Satan will do all the more to twist the medium for his own gain. It is particularly sad, however, to see names like Dawkins and Hitchens at the top of the "religion" bestseller list.

Behinds the Scenes at the ACFW Conference

Many of you know that registration for the ACFW Annual Conference is now underway. Numerous bloggers are posting about the conference during this month. First, let's get the basics: the conference takes place September 20-23 in Dallas. For a list of faculty and general what's what, do visit the web site, linked above.

ACFW is "The Premier Fiction Conference" because it's only about fiction. Editors and agents know that to find the best undiscovered new talent in Christian fiction, they need to come to the ACFW Conference. Christian novelists of all skill levels know that for the best teaching in fiction, and all-around comraderie with other novelists, they need to come.

This year the main morning sessions center around genres. Do you write suspense, women's fiction, historicals, etc.? There's a session for you. Plus, Randy Ingermanson is leading a session on marketing. We'll have main sessions in the morning, workshops in the afternoon, even late-night chats--all centered around writing Christian fiction. This year James Scott Bell will be the keynote. He'll be great. He's funny, wise, and a wonderful author. (Next year the keynote will be Angela Hunt--worth mentioning a year in advance.)

And of course there are meetings and meals with agents and editors. In fact, there's enough on-the-surface, up-front stuff that your head will spin. Just the hanging out with other novelists is worth its weight in gold. (And we do know how to hang out at ACFW.)

But let me tell you the most important part. Underneath all this is what God does in people's lives behind the scenes. The God-stories from attendees are what make the ACFW Conference great. If there's one thing I've seen, it's how present God is at each ACFW annual gathering. God knows this conference. I'm convinced He's always the most excited to come. I have seen Him meet people's needs every year. They may have come to the conference primarily to learn about writing, but God turned the time into a major spiritual victory.

The God stories have started already this year. I know of a woman on a very fixed income who signed up to go to the conference, but then found herself a little short on money to pay for it. You see, she'd obeyed God's call and given away $20,000 she hadn't expected to give. She never asked God for anything back. But within one week after giving away that money, she received in the mail three separate checks representing money she didn't know she had. (An insurance company, giving a rebate?) Those checks added up to almost exactly her price to attend the conference, air fare included.

In the second (or was it the third?) year of the conference, Robin Lee Hatcher served as keynote speaker. At the end of her first talk, she invited people to come down to the front if they wanted others to pray with them about dedicating their writing to God. Prayer counselors stood ready--and wow, were they needed! Many people came down for prayer.

I was one of those prayer counselors. There were so many people that we couldn't take a long time with each person. It was a rather quick blessing for everyone who'd lined up for prayer. I approached a young woman I did not know, expecting to pray with her about her writing. God had other plans. The minute I walked up to her, my hand came up and pressed hard against her chest. The words that blurted from my mouth were, "Oh, Lord, heal her heart!"

The young woman gave me a look I'll never forget. At the time I figured she thought I was nuts. (How many strangers walk up to you and put their hand on your chest?) I thought I was nuts.

The next day she approached me. Turns out she was so shocked by that prayer, she couldn't even talk about it to me that night. But this gal had been carrying around some terrible baggage from her childhood. She went up front expecting to talk to God about her writing. But God knew what she really needed. She needed healing from that pain. And no doubt through that healing, God could then better use her as a writer. God met this young woman at her point of need--by spewing the words out of the mouth of a pray-er who had no idea what they meant.

Two years ago I saw numerous physical, emotional and spiritual healings at the conference. Same with last year. Sometimes the answers to prayer aren't obvious until later. And sometimes they are about writing. Two years ago in the prayer room I was praying with someone who asked, "Just please pray for me whatever God tells you." God said something which seemed to me quite strange. He told her that she should "write her heritage." This made no sense to me because the only writing I'd ever seen from her was a suspense manuscript. However, before the conference she'd begun thinking that maybe she should take a chick-lit-type manuscript of hers and change the characters to Asian--her cultural heritage. She'd asked God to show her what to do. He answered that prayer in that session. Within a year, maybe a little longer, this gal had signed a three-book contract for an Asian series with a major publisher.

I could write post after post of similar stories about God meeting people at the ACFW Conference in amazing and often unexpected ways. Some of these folks prayed to Him by themselves in the corner of the dedicated prayer room. Or a friend prayed with them. Or they heard a word from a speaker that was just for them--a straight message from God.

A lot of the blog posts on the conference this month will talk about the teaching, the networking, the does and don'ts of attending a conference. How great the faculty and attendees are. How warm and friendly and caring everyone is. All this is true. But underneath, above, before, and behind all of this--God. He is the MVP at the ACFW Conference every year. And it shows.

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This week on blog tour: As I Have Loved You, by Nikki Arana

Caption Winners

Man, choosing one winner for the photo captions was hard! I spent a long time trying to decide, and still couldn't come up with just one. (There were a lot of entries.) I used my own laugh-o-meter--which ones made me laugh out loud, and the longest. (Completely subjective, of course.) I really liked some of the pairs that cleverly tied the two pictures together and reflected things I've talked about on this blog.













Here are my three favorite pairs--in no particular order:


Don't move! There's a spider on the tip of your tongue.

Thess a waa on a ti uff m' tun -ga? -- Jenny


"THAT'S the size of the screw they put in your ankle?"

"And there's more to come in October! AAAHH!" --Jason


Guess what I bought you?

NO, not another snowmobile!!!!!!!! --Ed J. Horton


Here are two individual captions that really made me laugh because they fit the pictures so well. This first is for Photo 1:

Surgery in a hospital? You don't need no stinking hospital. I'll fix your foot right here, right now. Mwuhahaha!Hahahahaha! --Domino


And this one for Photo 2. Of all individual captions, I laughed the longest at this one.

Brandilyn, little known for her impressions, demonstrates the iguana. - M.C. Pearson


Winners--let me know if you want to take me up on a guest post.

Finished--Again

Happy Monday. I am brain dead.

For the last two weeks I've been working on the Amber Morn rewrite. Yes, just 10 days after turning the book's first draft in, I received my macro edit letter. Other than taking one day off for surgery, I've been working night and day--every day--for the last two weeks to finish the rewrite. I needed to email it off Sunday night.

I did.

Thus ends (at least for now) my writing of adult series. My next adult novels are going to be stand-alones. I noticed I've been leaning toward this even in writing the Kanner Lake series. KL is definitely a series of four books--same town, same characters. Yet each of the Kanner Lake novels has a different feel to it. You'll see that Crimson Eve is quite different from Coral Moon. And Amber Morn is different from the rest.

The four books can be read as stand-alones, as can all my series novels. But most readers don't tend to do that. If they pick up a "Book 3" they're not likely to buy it unless they've read books 1 and 2. So the sales of each book in a series can get harder to make. (This is why Zondervan and I always heavily market the first book in each series.) At any rate, in writing stand-alones, I won't face that issue.

I worked like a banshee all weekend (yes, I did manage to get to church)--but I took the time to read each comment from Friday. Many of them gave me a good laugh. Today I'll take on the difficult task of figuring out which one to crown as the winner. I'll let you know tomorrow.

For one day, I would love to rest, but I cannot. I'm late starting my next project.

Wow. Guess what? It's June.

Photo Friday

You supply the captions. Best one gets ... a guest post on this blog.

(Is that even worth winning?)


PHOTO ONE
















PHOTO TWO

Rethinking

The latest issue of Christian Retailing includes an interesting article on the Rethink 2007 ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Management Conference and Annual Meeting that took place at the end of April. Representatives of over thirty companies met to discuss such issues as business reorganizations and Internet marketing.

Michael Linder, VP and chief marketing officer for Dickinson Press, presented data from his company's publishing study conducted in 2006. According to the study, inspirational book readers bought an average of 8.2 titles during the year, 66% from B&N, 58% at discount stores, and 55% at local bookstores, including Christian outlets.

I found the most interesting information to be the data about marketing and book covers. (I'm assuming this includes fiction and nonfiction.) The study identified different types of readers, ranging from "inclusives"--who value things such as "community and expansion"-- to "loyalists"--who value "tradition, routine and predictability." The former category rated at 32% of respondents, while the latter was at 22%. Linder showed a selection of Christian book covers, noting that they tended to speak to the loyalists more than the inclusives because they often featured individual figures rather than showing diversity of community. He suggested that publishers rethink their designs.

In another session some of the Internet marketing efforts of publishers were critiqued by leading Internet marketing consultants Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg. These men warned that many online marketing efforts were ineffective, saying that the sale rates were the same for direct marketing, which is a historical (and lousy) 2-4%. They further said that most Web site visitors leave a site after three clicks. "Marketing has been redefined," Jeffrey Eisenberg said, with consumers not trusting what they consider to be sales pitches.

Well, drat. Book covers ain't workin', Internet sales ain't workin', and too few people shop at Christian bookstores. I'm off to take two aspirin and lie down.

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This week on blog tour: These Boots Weren't Made For Walking, by Melody Carlson.

What in the World Was THAT All About?

In the last few days in my Bible reading I've read the book of Job. Amazing, isn't it--how many times you can read the Bible and always find something new?

Job laments all that has happened to him--and hurls the WHY questions at God. I didn't deserve this! Why did you do this to me? What's the point of living a righteous life if you're going to treat me this way?... (My paraphrase.) Then in Chapter 19, verse 23, he cries:

Oh, that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Of course--they were. In fact, I think this is the crux of the book of Job. The WHY of all the disaster that befell the man. Indeed, it wasn't about him at all. It was, first, to teach his three pious friends a few things. Then, through the Book of Job, to teach the millions of Christians around the world and through all generations that God is sovereign and that some of our questions--especially the difficult WHY ones--won't be answered this side of heaven.

Yet God does reply to Job. Hey, where were you when I hung the moon and flung the stars and switched on the sun? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Who are YOU to question me and the worth of righteousness? Who are YOU to demand answers from ME...? (My paraphrase again.)

Sufficiently cowed, Job says:

I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees Thee.
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.

Here's the thing that amazes me. God in His mercy did reply to Job. But He didn't answer Job's questions. And He so easily could have. In His long reply, God could have added--By the way, Job, your wish to have this all written down? It's gonna happen. In fact, that's the VERY reason all this happened to you.

God never said that. He withheld the reason. The reason Job so desperately wanted--because of his finite, human mind--was not nearly as important to God as reminding Job of Who He Is.

The next time I look back on some event in my life and think, "God, what in the world was THAT all about?" I will remember his reply--and lack of an answer--to Job.

Another One Put To Bed

I'm celebrating another book completely done. Crimson Eve--next in the Kanner Lake series. (Releasing September 7.) Done means written, rewritten, track-changed, copy-edited, proofed, and front and back book covers approved. Nothin' left to do but publish the thing.

My favorite part.

I received the final book cover copy (front and back) to approve today. I love how they've taken the front graphic, flipped it and blurred it on the back. Very nice touch. And the front cover art of a lone, stripped tree all by itself in a sea of red is quite symbolic for the protagonist.

Surgery #2 Down

As of Friday I'm minus one two-inch screw through my tibia and fibula. Yeehaw.

Except that I hate surgery. Just glad this one's over. (Final one to take out plate and screws in October.) First I don't like not being able to eat or drink after midnight. Especially drink. I'm a water person. The surgery was scheduled at 12. Of course the doc was running late, and I kept getting thirstier. I think he was out surfing. All that water, and I get nothin'. I finally got in to the first room sometime after 1:00.

The nurse starts asking me questions. I fall into a rhythm, staring at the floor, my head wagging with each answer.

"Got hepatitis?"

"No."

"Asthma?"

"No."

"Had a stroke?"

"No."

"Heart palpitations?"

"No."

"Smoke, drink, medications?"

"No, no, no."

"Any accidents resulting in broken bones lately?"

I cut a look up at her. "You're kidding, right?"

Nope, she's not. She's just following her list of questions. Apparently she has no idea who I am or why I'm there.

"Any recent surgeries?"

No, I was born with the screw you're about to take out of my leg.

"Uh, yeah."

I have to explain.

Questions over, I get dressed in a lovely gown. I ask for one with bling, but they don't have any. KEO (knock 'em out) doc and Bone Doc finally appear. They're only a couple hours late.

I swallow hard. This is really gonna happen. "Hey, you guys--long lunch?"

Bone Doc nods. "Yeah. It was great." He surveys me. "So. What are we doing for you today?"

Okay, now I'm really nervous.

"You're taking a screw outta my leg."

"Right." Like he knew that. So why'd he ask? "Which leg?"

Maybe we ought to just call this whole thing off. He's acting like he's never seen me before. Rationally, I understand. Too many docs have operated on the wrong side of a body. It's a law suit thing. They want to be extra sure. They want me to sign a paper saying what they're doing for me--exactly where. Still, when you're about to be put under by these guys--you just wish they'd act a little more informed.

"Left one"

"Okay."

Nurse takes out a pen and writes on my left leg. I don't see what she writes until later that night. It's profound.

I'm wheeled into the operating room. Thing's big and packed with equipment. They tell me to move from my comfortable bed to the operating one. It's narrow. It's hard. I complain. They strap me in.

"How in the world you get a wide person on this thing?"

"You'd be amazed what we can do."

KEO takes my left hand. "Okay, this is going to sting a little."

It does. And does again. And again. And again. He can't find my vein. I make faces at the ceiling.

"Oh, hey, doc. Forgot to tell you 'bout the 10-ounce, medium rare steak I had for breakfast."

He ignores me.

The IV's finally in. My adrenaline pumps. My legs start to shake. Drat. I hate this part.

This is when I start quoting Psalm 91:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, "My rock and my fortress,
The God in whom I trust..."

They put a mask over my mouth and nose. No more quoting. "Okay, breathe deep."

Yeah, yeah, I'm breathin', I'm breathin'.

"All right, just a little initial medication now. Might make you feel a little sleepy."

Yeah, right, just a 'little medication.' I've heard that one bef--

I wake up.

Takes awhile before I can open my eyes. I'm in a recovery room, curtains all around. My legs are shaking to beat the band--I mean smacking against the table like a regular grand mal seizure. Most annoying. It's the anesthesia. Does it to me every time.

A nurse comes. Helps me get dressed. "Nice bra," she says. "Where'd you get it?"

What, I just fell into a Victoria's Secret commercial? I look around for the hidden cameras.

I'm wheeled out to the car. Hubby drives me home.

So here I am. One screw loose--actually totally gone. Back in the boot for a week. Good news is, I don't have to go to physical therapy for a few days. Take that, PT.

Speaking of my physical therapist. The one who puts me through so much misery because it's "good for me." So can she take a little stress herself?

I gave her one of my books. Whatdya think she did?

Read the last page first.

Sigh.

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Read Part 13

First Lines

First lines in a novel are supposed to be wildly important. Something to jump out at the casual browser and make him buy the book. I think this is mostly true. I try to come up with interesting first lines. And I admit when I pick up someone else's novel, I love an intriguing first sentence. But I wouldn't say all my novels have absolutely sparkling first lines. Some are definitely better than others.

If the first line isn't sparkling, however, I say the next one better be. The entire paragraph better be grabbing. The first page ... oh, yeah. Or the browser's long gone.

So I got to looking at all my first lines. I'll list them in order by book series--without comment. You can decide if one's a grabber or not. Perhaps, looking at the list, you'll gain some insights in general about what works and what doesn't for you. I did notice trends in my mine. I usually start with some statement or thought. Only one book opens with dialogue.

The first three are my women's fiction titles. The rest are suspense.

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The last time I saw my mother alive, she was on her way to serve the poor.

Cast a Road Before Me (Bradleyville #1)

The boxes are heavy, their rough rope handles cutting into my palms.

Color the Sidewalk For Me (Bradleyville #2)

(This was the opening dream sequence beginning mentioned in my post on dreams last week--therefore it's in italics and in present tense. Okay--so I lied about no commenting.)

I remember how even the sky mourned with us, hanging in shades of gray, chilled and fitful.

Capture the Wind for Me (Bradleyville #3)

Beep-beep, beep-beep.

Eyes of Elisha (Chelsea Adams #1)

(Well, hey, dontcha wonder what's beeping?)

After twenty years of midnights among the dead, Victor Mendoza didn't spook easily.

Dread Champion (Chelsea Adams #2)

The noises, faint, fleeting, whispered into her consciousness like wraiths in the night.

Brink of Death (Hidden Faces #1)

He should have called the police.

Stain of Guilt (Hidden Faces #2).

Not so pretty in death, are you.

Dead of Night (Hidden Faces #3)

She was washing dishes when her world began to blur.

Web of Lies (Hidden Faces #4)

Paige Williams harbored a restless kinship with the living dead.

Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake #1)

Kill tonight -- or die.

Coral Moon (Kanner Lake #2)

"Really, is a heinous murder any reason to devalue such a glorious piece of real estate?"

Crimson Eve (Kanner Lake #3--releases this September)

Any man going on this mission wasn't coming back.

Amber Morn (Kanner Lake #4--releases April 2008)

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Okay, there you have it. Peck away. Or perhaps you have some of your own to lay on me ...

(By the way, first chapters or other early excerpts of all my books can be read on my web site.)